Thetford Grammar School, which has around 200 pupils, will shut at the end of this term, ending almost 14 centuries of education at the site.

Parents at the fee-paying school were told the news in a letter from chairman Jay Liu on Monday.

The school dates back more than 1,000 years (Image: Thetford Grammar School)

They have been invited to the site on Tuesday morning to discuss the decision.

In the letter, Mr Liu cited the VAT on fees as well as other cost increases caused by the government.

He wrote: "It is with a heavy heart but also a clear focus on securing the very best future for our pupils that we write to share an important update regarding the future of Thetford Grammar School.

“Since January 2025 the imposition of VAT on school fees, alongside the removal of business rates relief, increased employer pension contributions, rises in the minimum wage and continued increases in utility and operating costs have collectively placed unsustainable pressure on many independent schools including TGS.”

He added: "Following a thorough and careful review the board has concluded that the current financial strain is no longer viable for TGS to continue operating independently.

"This has been an extremely difficult decision. Throughout this process the overriding priority has been the continued education wellbeing and future opportunities of our pupils.

"With that in mind we have worked proactively to identify the strongest possible onward pathway for our families."

The letter goes on to state that the school will now seek to merge its resources with Finborough School in Stowmarket, which currently has around 675 students.

Thetford Grammar School is among more than 100 independent schools to have closed since the government introduced the introduction of a 20pc VAT rate to private schools in January 2025.

The closures have affected an estimated 25,000 pupils across England, according to the Independent Schools Council.

From April 2025, private schools in England with charitable status also lost the 80pc relief on business rates they had previously received, piling further pressure onto already stretched budgets.

Thomas Paine attended the school in the 18th century (Image: Archant)

The closure marks a devastating end for a school whose origins stretch back to AD 631, when it is thought to have served the court of the East Anglian kings in Thetford.

Among its most famous former pupils is Thomas Paine - the radical thinker and key contributor to both the American and French Revolutions - who is thought to have attended between 1744 and 1749.

Over the centuries it has been reshaped and re‑established on several occasions, including a major reorganisation under a 1610 Act of Parliament.

The modern school emerged from this long evolution, later becoming a state grammar under the 1944 Education Act before returning to independent status in the 1980s.

It offers both day and boarding options for students aged three to 19.

In recent years the school entered overseas ownership after being acquired in 2017 by a Hong Kong‑registered company linked to Chinese investors.

The school has been approached for comment.

© Norwich Evening News